Garbage-barrel



(No Model.)

A. AMES, Jr. Garbage Barrel.

No. 242,578. Paiente d .Iune'7, i881.

v 8/ INVENTf? iATTORNEYS WITNESSES ilwrrno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AZEL AMES, JR, OF \VAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

GARBAGE-BARREL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,578, dated June 7, 1881.

Application filed February 19, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AZEL AMES, Jr., a citizen of theUnited States, resident at Wakefield, in the county of Middle'sex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garbage-Barrels; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is arepresentation of a perspective view and Fig. 2 is a sectional detail.

This invention has relation to means for collecting, holding, and transporting fish, vegetables, garbage, or any matter subject to decomposition.

The object of the invention is the production of a barrel having a head readily and easily fastened and unfastened for ordinary use and held secure for transportation, and which barrel is air and water tight when closed.

To this end the invention consists in a barrel and its head, each having certain features,arranged in such peculiar juxtaposition as to accomplish the object sought, all as hereinafter set forth.

No question occupies so much the attention of the residents of cities and crowded localities as that of the removal of garbage and other refuse matter. The solution of this is one of theproblems of the age. Many attempts have been made to furnish means for their ready and healthful removal. Heretofore in those now constructed one or the other objection has obtained-they have either been too loosely put up, so that the matter is affected by water and air and decays, making it offensive when at rest, and especially in transportation, or else the fastening devices employed have been such that in the ordinary use they are neglected, owing to carelessness, and therefore fail of their obect.

The presentdevice is one which fully answers both objects. The catch for ordinary use is so simple that the single action of closing the barrel catches the cover tight, and the peculiar arrangement of the hinge-loop gives a leverage for compressing the gasket, While the ancillary fastening for transportation prevents any accidental uiisplacement.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A represents the barrel, having the handles a 0 located at about the middle of its height and provided with stops 1) 1), whereby they are braced in the horizontal position when revolved upward upon their pivots for use. In the outer edge of the chine is cut a groove or seat, 2, in which is placed the rubber gasket N, forming a bearing for the cover 13. This cover is provided with diametrically opposite plates 0 0, having forked and upturned ends 0 c, which extend beyond the periphery of said cover. Between these plates, and extending across the cover at right angles thereto, is a strong bar, F, one end of which is curved upward, as indicated at f, while the other end, f, is plane. Both ends of this bar extend beyond the pe riphery of the cover, but the curved end f is longer than the other, and a broad notch, a, is usuallymade in the edge of the cover under said end, wide enough to extend on each side of it, as indicated in the drawings. To engage with the forked plates and bar four fastenings are employed equidistantfrom each other and secured to the four sides of the barrel as follows: 0n opposite sides of the barrel are secured hinged arms or rods E E, said rods bein g pivoted at their lower ends to thelug-plates D, and having their upper ends threaded and long enough to extend above the cover, as indicated at c; and at right angles to said rods, and opposite to each other, are secured to the barrel a loop, G, and a spring-catch, H, which also extend above the barrel-cover. The loop G is designed to receive the curved end of the crossbar F, and its sides 9 g are received in the notch a of said cover on each side of the bar.

The position of this loop Gr holds a peculiar relation to the cover, whereby the latter acts as a lever to compress the gasket when forced down on the latter. The distance between the upper face of the gasket N and the under side of the top bar g of the loop G is less than the thickness through from the under side of the cover to the upper face of bar F. The cover is put in place byholdiu g it vertically, slipping hooked end f under bar g, and letting the cover down. This brings the latter down on the gas ket, and when the cover is shut down, to be caught by the catch H, itthe cover-nets by leverage to compress the rubber, spreading the latter and making a broader bearing on the under side of the cover, and hence more of an air-tight joint. hen the cover is released the resiliency of the rubber lifts itfar enough to slip in the hand for a good hold or, if desired, the construction may be such that the rubber will throw the cover far enough up for filling the barrel. As this loop is rigidly secured to the barrel, it fixes the position of the cover when in place in the notch. The loop and curved end of the bar also form a loose hinge-connection for the cover when lifted. The other end, f, of the baris designed, when the cover is closed down, to be sprung under the lip lb of the spring-catch H, whereby this side of the cover is held to its seat, and at the same ti me the cover is pressed well over against the loop, bringing it into just position. The cover is secured between the catch and loop fastenings by means of the rods E, which are brought into engagement with the end forks of the plates U and secured by means of the thumb-nuts y, any desired pressure beiu g applied.

The handles a a are usually located between the fastel'iings, so that these will form no obstruction when the barrel is lifted and so that a casual disarrangement of the fastenings will not be liable to occur, although there is no danger ot' the latter when the fastenings are properly adjusted.

This barrel is designed to serve a very useful and beneficial purpose. It is easily fastened and unt'astened,a1nl when secured its contents cannot be upset and scattered about by tramps or animals. It is air and water tight and cau not give out otlensive odors or leak. The rapid decay of garbage is prevented, and therefore the frequent emptying of the barrel is not necessary. Its contents are protected from the direct action of the sun and from flies, and its contents can be kept in condition to be used for feed. Being strongly and thoroughly made, the barrel will withstand rough usage, and it is therefore especially adapted for purposes of distant transportation. It is apparent that the efliciency of such a receptacle depends mainly upon its head or cover, which in the present instance is braced by plates and crossbar at right angles to each other, and usually it is lined with asphalt or some protective composition of similar character.

Covers for barrels and the like have been provided with rims having straight forked projections, adapted to be held in place by hinged threaded rods having thumb-nuts thereon; but in this construction the points of conjunction of the forked projections and nuts become worn after a time, and there is danger of the nuts becoming displaced by accident, thereby releasing the cover. A cover having a cross-bar, one end of which is secured by a loop at one side of the barrel and the other by a link and cam-lever at the opposite side thereof, has also been employed in this connection, and neither of these constructions is claimed herein.

I am aware that barrels have been constructed in which the gasket is more or less compressed, but these lack the simplicity requisite for ordinary use; and also that they have been constructed with secure fasteningfor transportation, but none have been made which combine the two essentials ready use and security in transportation.

I claim-- 1. The barrel A, having spring-catch H. and. loop G at opposite sides, in combination with gasket N and cover B, having bar F, with curved end fand plain end f, the distance between the upper face of the gasket N and the under side of bar g of loop G being less than the thickness through from the under side of the cover to the upper face of bar F, whereby, when the cover is put in place and shut down, the gasket is compressed and acts to open the cover when the latter is released.

2. The barrel A, having spring-catch H and loop G at opposite sides, and hinged arms E E, having thumb-nuts y, and arranged at right angles to the catch and loop, in combination with the rubber gasket N, seated in groove .6, and the cover B, having bar F, with curved end fand plain end f, and having the plates 0, having forked and upturned ends 0 0, whereby the device is adapted for ready use and also for transportation, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in I00 presence of two witnesses.

AZEL AMES, JR.

\Vituesses:

WILLIAM A. LEWIS, CLARA M. Swnnrsna. 

